Jim Thorpe Borough Council heard a presentation Thursday from forestry consultants proposing to evaluate borough-owned land for potential timber harvesting.

Cody Campion and Zac Hess, of Keystone Timber & Forestry, outlined their proposal to evaluate borough property, conduct timber bids and manage the subsequent harvesting operation on behalf of the municipality.

The duo said they would serve as agents for the borough throughout the entire process, from evaluation to completion. Their compensation would be structured as a percentage of the timber sale.

“We get 15% of the timber sale that you guys would be getting,” Hess told council.

Campion, who grew up in Weatherly and played football for two years at Jim Thorpe, said the borough has promising areas for timber harvesting based on his preliminary research.

“We’re working with Lehighton Water Authority and just being in that area over there, we’ve seen some areas ready for timber harvesting,” Hess said. “We see a lot of potential here in Jim Thorpe as well.”

Council members questioned the process last week, including how property lines would be determined and respected during harvesting operations.

“We find the property lines,” Campion said. “We’re not certified surveyors. Usually, we are pretty good at finding lines. If we have any question, you obviously don’t push the limit. But generally we work right up to the road or property line. If it is a harvestable tree that makes sense to cut and it’s not too much of a hazard, we’ll do it.”

Campion said they would use an app that provides a general idea of property boundaries, though it’s not legally binding, and they look for physical evidence of boundary markers.

Both men emphasized their approach to forest management goes beyond simply removing valuable timber. “We’re looking at managing the woods,” they said. “We’re not just going out to cut trees. We literally evaluate every tree on property, and we say, is this tree right for harvest? Is it at its biological maturity and its ecological maturity, and what happens when we cut this tree?”

Asked about potential yield, Campion indicated they would provide detailed estimates after a thorough assessment. The bidding process, he added, would be competitive.

“We’ll send the information out to 80 sawmills,” Campion said. “We’ll send it to every sawmill east of central Pennsylvania and up to New York. Typically, you’re going to get anywhere from three to 15 bidders. “They have, typically, 18 months to 24 months to harvest the trees, and we’ll oversee that entire harvest.”

Council members expressed concern about forest health, particularly in light of recent brush fires.

“One of the issues is the undergrowth,” Councilman Mike Yeastedt said. “If it doesn’t burn off in a period of time, it makes it more susceptible. If you have too much dry brush, it’s a concern.

Campion assured the council that their assessment includes consideration of forest health in the hopes of developing a long-term relationship with the municipality.

“Our ultimate goal is to do another harvest,” he said. “When you manage it correctly, you can cut every 15 or 18 years on a rotation. That’s our goal.”

Ecologically sensitive areas would also be identified and avoided, the foresters said. Any areas where roads were created to access trees would be left “as good or better,” Campion added.

James Dougher requested the foresters include Kemmerer Park, where he serves on the board of directors, in their assessment.

Jim Thorpe meets again Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., when council could take action on the proposal.

“From what I’m hearing, it looks like council seems to be favorable towards moving forward,” Council President Greg Strubinger said.